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Movies / On DVD / On A Clear Day
On A Clear Day

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On A Clear Day (2006)

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Reviews Counted:64

Fresh:43

Rotten:21

Average Rating:6.2/10

Consensus: Another blue-collar inspirational feel-good British dramedy, On A Clear Day succeeds on the strength of lead actor Peter Mullan's performance and Gaby Dellal's competent direction.

Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Shot on location in Glasgow and Dover, director Gaby Dellal's first feature takes off from a true story of one man's determination to swim the English Channel. The film deftly avoids the pitfalls... Shot on location in Glasgow and Dover, director Gaby Dellal's first feature takes off from a true story of one man's determination to swim the English Channel. The film deftly avoids the pitfalls of sentiment through a self-deprecating humor that recalls THE FULL MONTY in tone and theme, as well as a stunning performance from Peter Mullen (YOUNG ADAM) as protagonist Frank Redmond. After 40 years of working as a shipbuilder, the somewhat taciturn Frank has been "made redundant" and let go from his job. He finds himself utterly unmoored without the routine and trappings that have defined his existence for so long, and suffers a loss of self-respect that he is unable to talk about with his loving wife, Joan (Brenda Blethyn, PRIDE & PREJUDICE), and son, Rob (Jamie Sives). Floundering, Frank becomes obsessed with the idea of swimming the Channel, and undertakes the project with the help of Chan (Benedict Wong, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS), the owner of the local fish-and-chips shop, who becomes Frank's personal trainer. His three best mates (Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley, and Ron Cook) sign on for the ride as well, each discovering new strength in themselves along the way. But it is Frank's relationships with his family that are the most moving part of the film, as he deals with the demons that have hounded him for over 20 years and rediscovers the bonds he shares with his wife and his long-estranged son. [More]

Starring: Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley

Starring: Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley, Jamie Sives, Ron Cook, Benedict Wong, Jodhi May

Director: Gaby Dellal

Director: Gaby Dellal
Screenwriter: Alex Rose
Producer: Sarah Curtis, Dorothy Berwin, Bill Allen
Studio: Focus Features

[See More Credits]

Reviews for On A Clear Day

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Has a thoughtful, witty tone that makes it worth seeing even if it feels a bit simplistic.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
06/12/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Though the story is filled with familiar strokes, sensitive direction and quality acting give it emotional depth.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
08/30/05
Matthew Leyland
Matthew Leyland
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It plays a risky game, switching tone from domestic drama to political point-making to broad comedy to sticky sentiment in a matter of moments, rounding everything off with a perfect ending that will make grown men weep.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Alan Morrison
Alan Morrison
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A pleasantly predictable film which ultimately demonstrates rather less ambition than its protagonist.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film is extremely well cast - Peter Mullan probably has "Grumpy bastards a speciality" emblazoned at the top of his CV and he's on top form here as Frank

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
09/03/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

As well-acted and well-made as it is it never quite manages brilliance.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
09/04/05
Joe Utichi
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
09/02/05
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Fans of Mullan's more intense work will find this soft and all-too maudlin.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
04/21/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Mullan makes Frank a complex, proud and wounded man, a reluctant dreamer who is both melancholic and inspiring. Not a great film, but all the performances are smart.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
04/08/06
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday

Gaby Dellal's cynically mushy film, like The Full Monty and its ilk, is best savored only by its target demo: middle-classers who see one imported film a year.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
04/04/06
Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson
Village Voice

Unlike my colleagues, I wiped my eyes instead of rolling them, and I'm hoping you will too. Worth seeing indeed.

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
05/15/06
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

The kind of drama that British television used to do so well, a well-constructed, smartly observed story of ordinary people learning how to communicate with one another.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
08/07/05
Ray Bennett
Ray Bennett
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A lesser film, kindhearted, a wee bit weepy and a wee bit trite.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
04/14/06
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Flawed by moments of sitcom humour, On A Clear Day still manages to tell an engaging story about men, work and friendship.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
05/05/06
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

Finding similarity in a child overcoming a handicap and a former laborer trying to get his groove back is a notion far more insane than choosing to swim the English Channel.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
04/10/06
Brett Buckalew
Brett Buckalew
FilmStew.com

Does any of this work? Sure, but only through the graces of a cast that knows better than to play to our hearts.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
04/14/06
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

Set in and around the dockyards of Glasgow, On a Clear Day follows a laid-off shipbuilder who decides to fix his life by swimming the English Channel.

comment Comment
04/07/06
Jeannette Catsoulis
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sweet-natured, if somewhat familiar, On a Clear Day features fine performances by Mullan, Blethyn and Sives. Dellal and cinematographer David Johnson paint an inviting picture of Glasgow.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
04/07/06
Carina Chocano
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...despite their decided lack of Glaswegian accents, Dellal's cast is engaging enough to involve us in this waterlogged but well visualized tale.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/08/06
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Nothing in On a Clear Day is especially compelling. The movie doesn't dig deep enough.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
04/14/06
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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January 31, 2006: Tackling male mid-life crisis in such a manly fashion should work. Opens in new window
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